Clinch-on nut



Oct. 17, 1939. A. WERME 2,176,846

CLINCH-ON NUT Filed June 8, 1938 Z1 /0 z2, 8 Z1 The present invention relates to supporting and the plate and the plate will also bear on two holding means and more particularly to the aspoints ofthe nut, thus effectively holding the nut sociation'of securing elements such as nuts and in and on the plate. I the like with a plate, sheet or panel construction The nut is provided with shoulders for overand to securing elements adapted for such associlying the plate 9 adjacent the opening 8, and with 5 ation. a projecting portion adapted to enter the open- Patented Oct. 17,1939

2,176,846 ouNcn-oN NUrr Adolph Werme, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Reed & Princo Manufacturing Company, Wotrcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachuset s I Application June 8, 1938, Serial No; 212,476

' 'z claims.v (ci. ss-sz) An object of the invention is the provision of ing, said projecting portion advantageously being improved supporting and holding means of this of substantially the same dimensions as the opennature. ing with regard both to the area of the opening In many classes of work, it is desirable that seand its depth (which is the thickness ofthe plate). 10 curing elements, such as nuts, be attached to and The nut also has beveled edges for angularly enheld on metal plates or other parts in such mangaging at two points under edges of the openner that the nuts will be in proper position to ing 8 and thereby eflectively joining the plate and receive bolts or screws, and willbe held against the nut.

rotation while the bolts or screws are received The nut, which may conveniently be rectanguu therein.' The present invention provides a nut lar as shown and is provided with an opening I1 which is easily and cheaply manufactured and with threads I8 therein, comprises a top face II attached to a metall plate or like supporting from which extend downwardly and outwardly means, and is eiectively held thereon, and against beveled sides I2 and I3. 'Ihe other two sides of rotation, for receiving a bolt, screw or other fasthe nut may be of any desired shape and in the 20 tening device which may be used, for example, drawing are illustrated 91S Perpelldleillel- ,The to secure another article or part to the plate. bottom or baselof the nutis undercut or recessed For a better understanding of the invention, on two sides and in a direction transverse of the reference may be had to the accompanying drawbeveled sides I2 and I 3, thus forming a projecting, in which one embodiment thereof has been ing 90111011 i4 and ShOllldeI' Portions l5 and is 25' shown for illustrative purposes. In the draw- (Fig. 3) extending OlltWeldly therefrom- By C011- ing: structing the projecting portion I4 transverse to Fig. 1 is a plan view of an improved securing the beveled sides or faces I2 and I3, the ends of element Such as a nut; the projecting portion may be formed by a part 80 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the securing eleoi' the beveled sides at the central portions there- 30 ment of Fig. 1; I l of, and there result two beveled edges I8 and 20 Fig. 3 is a cross sectiontaken on the line 3-3 on the projecting portion il, which edges are of Fig. 1; preferably of the same vertical thickness as the Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section of a plate plate 9 and are suitable for anguiarly engaging 85 formed with an opening and upstruck edges; Under edges 0f the Opening 8 in the panel 9.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, with a nut The nut may conveniently be formed by a in position to be dropped into the opening in the stamping operation. Or an appropriately formed plate; bar may be made by rolling or extruding and nut Fig, 6 is a cross section 0f an assembled plate blanks 0f Suitable Size may be Cut therefrOm. o and nut; The plate 9 may be readily prepared for red0 Fig. 7 is a, cross section taken on theiine 1 1 Ceiving the nut iii by stamping or cutting out. of Fig, 6; y as with a die, punch or other suitable tool, an Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of an as- Opening 8 Which may advantageously be 0f the sembied plate and nut construction. v same general shape and dimensions as the prode Referring to the drawing, I0 indicates gener- Jecting portion I6 of the nut. This insures that 45 ally a securing element or nut, which is adapted those edgesv of the projecting portion I from to be attached to a plate, panel or like construc- Which the Shoulder portion i5. l@ extend may tion, for example sheet metal, and t0 receive a Abe dropped iniJO the Opening 8S illustrated in Figscrew, bolt or other fastening device.v This se- 5 and be snugly received therein with the shoulim curing element is intended to be illustrative of del DOItiOIlS overlying the Diele 9. The i001 used any of the well known devices used for this purin forming the opening may beso formed and pose, such as nuts, bushings, grommets, lugs, etc. applied ill the punching Operation eS t0 Provide The securing member or nut I0 is designed so to a delayed Cutting action 0r draf' at two points engage in a preformed opening 8 in a plate 9 t0 produce UPStIllClS edges 0l' tebS 2i ln the that the nut will bear on at least two points of plate. AS the euttilig i001 passes through the 55 plate, edges 22 are formedon the tabs 2|, which edges in the upstanding position of the tabs are l' sov substantially vertical but which, upon the tabs being pressed down, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 8, become beveled as compared with the other edges of the opening.

The space between the edges 22 in the upstanding position of the tabs 2| is such that the ends I9, of the projecting portion i4 of the nut will freely pass therethrough.

After a nut i0 has been placed in the opening 8, the tabs 2l may be readily flattened down'onto the beveled ends or edges l, 26 of the nut and into the plane of the plate, with a suitable tool, for example a punch, and in this position the space between the edges 22 has been decreased, thereby locking the nut in and on the plate., and

the edges 22i1ie against the complementary beveled edges i9 and 2li ofthe nut, as illustrated in Figs. 6 and S.

While the nature and advantages of the inven- 'which are beveled outwardly toward the face having the shoulder portions, said beveled edge `portions adapted to be received in and to bearl .iid

prevent displacement of theV nut in a direction toward the plate, said nut further comprising end.

portions whichy are beveled outwardly toward the face of the nut which has the shoulder portions, and are adapted to be received and clinched in the plate, whereby the nut may be attached to.

the plate and displacement of the nut in a direction away from the plate may be prevented,

3.'A fastening device comprising a'body having two end edges outwardly beveled toward the base of the device, the b ase being rabbeted along two of its side edges intermediate said widened beveled end edges, thusl providing shoulders and a projecting portion disposed between and transversely of the said beveled edges, the ends'of said projecting portion forming a part of said beveled edges, whereby said fastening device may be attached to a plate by inserting said projecting porders restingon the surface of the plate, and Y clinching edges of said opening over said beveled end edges.

4. In combination, a sheet metal panel having an opening therein, said opening presenting at least two sides substantially in the plane of the surface of the panel and two sides bent upwardly above the surface of the panel, whereby the opening is enlarged in the dimension between the upwardly bent edges, and a nut provided with shoulder portions adapted to overlie those sides of the opening which are substantially in the plane of the surface of the panel, said shoulders being spaced from the bottom surface of the nut a distancesubstantially equal to the thickness of the panel, said nut vpresenting beveled edges adapted to -it within the upturned edges of the opening in the metal panel and to retain said nut in position in and on said panel when said upturnedjedgesare bent down upon the beveled edges of the nut.

5. In combination, a plate having an opening therein, at least two sides of said opening com- ,prising undercut edges, a nut having its under side recessed to provide oppositely disposed shoul-V ders with a projecting portion of the nut located between said shoulders, said shoulders adapted to support the nut on the plate, said projecting portion of thenut being formed with two outwardly beveled edges, said undercut edges of the opening and said beveled edges of the nut being clinched upon one another` 6. A' plate and nut assembly comprising in combination a plate having an opening therein and a nut provided with two edge portions which are beveled outwardly toward the base of the nut, edges of said opening in the plate being clinched against said beveled edges of the `nut to hold the nut on the plate, said ,nut comprising shoulder portions formed adjacent other edges of the nut, szliic shoulder portions overlying the surface of the p a e. f

7. In combination, a plate having an opening therein, said opening provided with an edge bent to a closed position to decrease the diameter of the opening, and a fastening device provided with a clinching surface positioned in said opening in the plate and oppositely disposed shoulders bearing against a surface of said plate, said fastening device being secured on 'said plate and in said opening by bending said edge of the opening over said clinching surface of the nut, the part of said fastening device `which extends above the surface of said plate being of less dimension, measured in a direction between said clinching edge and the opposite edge of the opening, than the correspondingv dimension of the opening in the plate.

ADonPH WERME. w. 

